Cuboid metatarsal support



0, 1940- w. c. BURNS CUBOID METATARSAL SUPPQRT Filed Nov. 15, 1938 HEEL. son/5 INVENT OR. WILL/AM c. awe/vs.

v ATTORNEYJ Patented Dec. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CUBOID METATARSAL SUPPORT William 0. Burns, Yamhill, Oreg. Application November 15, 1938, Serial No. 240,563 1 Claim. (01. 36-71) This invention relates to supports for the cuboid and metatarsal bones and is designed to be worn in or constituting part of the shoe for the purpose of strengthening muscles of the foot by supporting the cuboid and fifth metatarsal bones, and preventing the stretching and spreading of the foot, present invention being an improvement on the support disclosed in Patent No. 2,081,474, granted to me on May 25, 1937.

Primary object of the present invention is to provide a support having a raised area of resilient material, such as soft rubber, extending from the fourth metatarsal joint inwardly to a point back of the second metatarsal joint, the thickness of the material being gradually reduced from the fourth to the second metatarsal.

Another object is to provide a supporting structure for the foot, to be applied in a shoe having a groove extending from the heel to a point back of the first metatarsal permitting ample room for the principal cords, nerves and arteries of the foot whereby to relieve the weight of the foot thereon.

A further object is to provide a support having beveled outer edge portions and a thickness which tapers inwardly and forms the groove hereinabove mentioned.

An additional object is to provide a support structure as described hereinafter which may be formed integrally in the construction of the shoe or be made separately for insertion therein.

A further object is to provide a support as described for insertion in a shoe and having a plurality of apertures substantially in the center of the heel whereby the support more readily conforms to the foot and is retained in the shoe without slipping.

Another object is to provide a supporting structure for the foot having a groove portion which permits the foot to sink down therein and permit the weight-bearing muscles to be supported by the raised portions of the support.

Other objects and'advantages will appear and be brought out more fully in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein,

Fig. 1 is a bottom view of a support constructed in accordance with my invention, a portion of the foot being shown to illustrate theposition of the support.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectior a1 view through the shoe and the groove of the srrport, and a portion of a foot to show the ielaive positioning thereof.

Fig. 3 is a longi. ..inal sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the support of 5 Fig. 1 showing the beveled raisedleather portions.

Referring more particularly to the drawing in which like characters designate like parts in the various views, l2 designates the body of the support which is in the nature of a leather insole to be worn inside of a shoe and extending from the heel forwardly substantially to and directly back of the metatarsal joints of the foot. The support has a beveled or skived forward edge portion I3 15 and side edges l4 and I5, also beveled or skived as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5.

In a similar manner the heel portion I6 is beveled or skived as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. These beveled and skived portions are for the 0 purpose of conforming to the curves of the foot.

The central longitudinal portion I! of the support is thin and with the raised outer portions forms a groove extending from the heel forwardly to a point just directly back of the first meta- 2 tarsal, this groove being for the protection of the cords, arteries and nerves which extend from the heel to near the first metatarsal joint. This groove also permits the freedom of the foot to sink into the support. 30

The support is formed with a beveled strip l8 of leather or any other suitable material along edge l4, this strip terminating forwardly just short of the fifth metatarsal. A similar strip I9 is located along edge I4 and substantially under the fifth metatarsal and spaced substantially from strip I8. A beveled strip 20 of leather or the like is positioned along edge l5 from the heel to a point just back of the first metatarsal, strip 20 being considerably narrower than strip l8, and, being beveled to a feather 'edge inwardly, forms with strip ill the groove I1.

A plurality of apertures 2| are formed in the support along the grooved portion l1 and contribute to the flexibility of the support along the groove as well as allowing ventilation. A plurality of apertures 22 are formed in the heel permitting the heel of the foot to sink into the support and also preventing slipping of the support in the shoe.

Raised portions Isa, Isa, and 20a of resilient material are secured to strips l8, l9 and 20, re-

spectively, and are of smaller area than the latter. Raised portion l8a is placed substantially under the cuboid bone of the foot; portion l9a is under u 2 the fifth metatarsal; and raised portion "a is substantially under the first metatarsal. Raised portion 20a serves to shift the weight of the foot toward the strips i8 and I! and the raised portions 18a and Isa.

A raised portion of sponge rubber 23 is located directly back of the second, third and fourth metatarsal Joints. The raised portions IS, "a, 20 and 23 immediately back of the metatarsal Joints serve to remove excess weight from these Joints and prevent calluses and hold the metatarsal bones in their proper positions. The bottom of the entire support may be provided with suit-v able thin, soft leather fabric or covering if desired.

My invention as hereinabove described illustrates the support as a separate structure adapted to be inserted into a shoe, however, the same results may be achieved by making a shoe having the features hereinabove described ineorporated therein during manufacture.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

A cuboid metatarsal support as described having a longitudinal groove extending from near the heel to a point Just back of the first metatarsal Joint and gradually decreasing in depth to said joint, said groove having a raised transverse central soft compressible portion directly back of the second, third and fourth metatarsal Joints and forming two grooves, the groove on one side of said raised portion of greater depth than the groove on the other side, the outer side edge portions of said support throughout the length of the groove under the cuboid Just back of the fifth metatarsal and in front of the heel base.

WILLIAM C. BURNS.

having resilient elevations 

